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While it's true that the First Day of School (#FDOS) isn't until tomorrow, TODAY was the first day back, officially, for teachers and many of our support staff. And per tradition, we gathered first for breakfast, announcements, awards and recognition.

This marks my third back-to-school season as a part of the PCSC team, and I have learned so many things during this time. But perhaps one of the most shocking? The summers are busier, more hectic, more filled with meetings and trainings and thinking and planning and strategizing and communicating ... who knew? And the construction? WOW.

Behind the scenes, the custodial staff work diligently to ensure that on the #FDOS, students walk in to a sparkling clean building. In fact, one of the things the PCSC School Board takes pride in? Most people have no idea how old some of our schools are, because of timely maintenance and updates, and an incredible eye for cleanliness.

Along those same lines, summer marks the time when construction crews move in the day after school is out, and most often, they don’t leave until the day or two before students return. Their efforts reflect the board’s commitment to maintain the quality buildings that we have, making renovations when needed so they’ll serve Plainfield’s students well for years to come.

But the often-overlooked factor in all of this? Teachers. At Clarks Creek, Brentwood and PCMS, teachers were not allowed on site most of the summer. In fact, Brentwood’s teachers couldn’t prepare their classrooms until this weekend (which would explain all the cars you may have noticed in the parking lots!). So when your children come home describing their beautiful, or exciting, or amazing classrooms, know that they are the result of a mad rush to create an environment that welcomes students and helps them experience the joy in learning.

Of course, even though most teachers couldn’t get into their classrooms this summer, they were still hard at work in other ways. Retreats, curriculum mapping, learning new textbooks and technology, professional development, planning … it is quite the misconception that teachers “get the summer off.”

And yet, I suspect you’d have a hard time finding anyone in our schools who isn’t excited about being back, and even more excited to greet your children tomorrow morning. We are a community of passionate educators, of all titles and responsibilities. And #FDOS is an exciting day for all of us.